If he is refering to the booksense, the answer is no.  You can't download 
books from BARD, bookshare or ppodcasts directly to it.

-----Original Message----- 
From: Ron Canazzi
Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2015 12:21 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: A Recent Interaction With HumanWare

hi Jordan,

Does this player from Hims Inc. have the same features as the Victor
Stream?  Could you provide a website for the product which will describe
its features?

Thanks in advance.


On 4/11/2015 3:15 PM, Jordan Gallacher wrote:
> I had the same issue with them a few years ago regarding my BrailleNote 
> not
> working correctly.  I recommend highly the book player from Hims Inc.  The
> one I have works great, and it has been through a lot in the past 5 years.
> Jordan
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Buddy Brannan
> Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2015 11:40 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: OT: A Recent Interaction With HumanWare
>
> Sorry for any stray nasty characters here.
>
> Still haven't decided what I'll do about this. Their response to my = 
> email
> will help determine that, perhaps.=20
>
> Just posted to my personal blog at=20
> http://buddy.brannan.name/blog/2015/04/what-to-do-about-humanware/
>
> What To Do About HumanWare?
>
> Back in August, I purchased a second generation Victor Reader Streamfrom =
> HumanWare at a promotional price. While I thought that the included =
> accessories were a bit stingy (a case with no belt clip and no SD card), = 
> I
> thought the device itself was well designed and well executed. The = user
> interface was a worthy follow-up to the first generation. It has =
> easy-to-use controls that are intuitive, and really, I liked mine so = 
> much
> that I often used it instead of other players I have around here, =
> including ones on the iPhone.=20
>
> Back in February, my Stream developed a problem. Some important controls =
> (play, fast forward, rewind, and the sleep timer button) started acting =
> strangely. They would either intermittently not work, or they would =
> intermittently act as though multiple buttons were pressed at the same =
> time, or one button was pressed multiple times. Both hoping the problem =
> was a fluke and would clear itself up, and also because I had more =
> important things to deal with at the time, I put the player aside. When, =
> recently, I pulled it out again and the problem persisted, and my other =
> irons in the fire were well into resolution, I called HumanWare tech =
> support and sent my Stream off for repair. They received it Tuesday, and = 
> I
> received the following Email from them today:
>
> Recently you sent us equipment for repair.
>
> After evaluation,  the technician found out that the damages caused to =
> your unit cannot be repaired.
> We will have to replace the unit.
> He also found out that these damages are not manufacturing issue and so =
> cannot be covered under warranty.  We took some pictures.  If you need =
> copy of them, please let us know.
>
> Please find attached a copy of the quotation for a replacement unit.  As =
> soon as we receive your purchase order or payment we will proceed the =
> order and the unit will be sent to you.
>
> Please take note that after receiving this quote, if you do not wish to =
> proceed with the replacement unit, HumanWare will return the unrepaired =
> unit and freight will be at your expense or a diagnostic fee, if =
> applicable.  In case you do not require the unrepaired unit back, =
> HumanWare will dispose of it for you. Failure to reply will lead to unit =
> disposal after a period of 3 months following quote issuance.
>
> If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the customer =
> service department.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Customer Service, HumanWare Inc.
>
> My first reaction wasn=E2=80=99t disappointment over my problem not = 
> being
> covered under warranty. (I did read the attached PDF and saw that = I can
> get my out of warranty problem replaced for half the cost of a new =
> unit.) No, my first reaction was to marvel at the sheer rudeness of the =
> email. The problem wasn=E2=80=99t a manufacturing problem, it=E2=80=99s =
> your fault, and we=E2=80=99ve got pictures to prove it. Rude and =
> confrontational all on its own, but remember, this is a company whose =
> primary audience includes people who are blind. This specific =
> product=E2=80=99s main users, and buyers, are people who are blind. = 
> Those
> would be people who cannot see pictures, no matter how damning the =
> evidence.=20
>
> Of course, if this were merely an oversight, it might be excused, but =
> it=E2=80=99s a pattern. HumanWare has put out several marketing = 
> campaigns
> with product teasers that were purely visual in nature. Hey, = look at the
> picture of our new product! We won=E2=80=99t tell you what = it is, nor 
> will
> we describe the picture, but you=E2=80=99ll love it! Oh, = by the way,
> it=E2=80=99s a braille display, we find out later. Really?=20=
>
>
> I should stress here that I don=E2=80=99t find fault with their = 
> conclusion
> necessarily. After all, I could have accidentally done = something or 
> other
> to break the thing. That sort of thing happens = sometimes, in spite of 
> our
> best intentions. My problem is with their = delivery, which struck me as
> abysmally bad customer service. I therefore = replied with the following:
>
> Hello:
>
> Thank you for your Email regarding my damaged Victor Reader Stream. = 
> While
> I appreciate your telling m that the repair is not covered under = 
> warranty,
> not being a manufacturing defect, I can=E2=80=99t say I = appreciate your
> delivery. You have pictures and are happy to send them? = Great! This 
> would
> do me, as a blind person, and by the way one of your = primary markets, 
> any
> good, exactly how? Would it really have taken you = that much more time to
> have explained, in plain language, what the = problem was?
> =E2=80=9CUnfortunately, it looks as though your Stream got = splashed with
> water.=E2=80=9D Or =E2=80=9CUnfortunately, we found = foreign matter in 
> your
> play button.=E2=80=9D Or perhaps, = =E2=80=9CUnfortunately, a peanut 
> butter
> sandwich will not fit in the SD = card slot.=E2=80=9D? Really, an Email 
> that
> says, =E2=80=9CSorry, it=E2=80=99= s your problem, and we have pictures to
> prove it=E2=80=9D is rude and = confrontational, besides being terribly
> unhelpful to a blind person, who = is, I may stress, part of one of your
> primary markets. I would suggest = that this is an unacceptably poor level
> of customer service.=20
>
> Allow me, if I may, to craft an Email that you may use in future = 
> dealings
> of this nature. I=E2=80=99ll even give this to you at = absolutely no 
> cost.
> Feel free to use it in full or in part. Do not, = however, use the Email 
> you
> sent me in future dealings of this nature.=20
>
> =E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94-Cut=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94-
>
> Dear [Insert customer name here]:
>
> We are writing to follow up with you regarding your recent repair = 
> request,
> with RMA #XXXXXX.=20
>
> After inspecting your [product name], our technicians have determined = 
> that
> the damage cannot be repaired, and a full replacement of the unit = will 
> be
> required. We found the following problems:
>
> * There was foreign matter dropped into the controls.
> * Liquid damage from [water, coffee, etc.] is apparent.
> * A peanut butter sandwich will not fit in the SD card slot. Please do = 
> not
> attempt to put one there.
> * A crack in the control board indicates a drop from a significant = 
> height.
> [And so forth]
>
> If you wish to inspect the damage as outlined above, we can provide = 
> photos
> upon request.=20
>
> Unfortunately, this damage is not covered under the limited =
> manufacturer=E2=80=99s warranty, as it is not a manufacturing defect. =
> Please see the full statement of warranty here: [insert URL to limited =
> warranty]
>
> Since your [product] was returned to us within the warranty period, we = 
> are
> prepared to offer you a non-warranty replacement at half retail = price 
> plus
> applicable shipping and tax. Please reference [invoice = number] when you
> phone if you would like to take advantage of this = offer. For your 
> records,
> we have attached an accessible PDF with full = offer details. This offer 
> is
> good for 90 days from today.
>
> Alternatively, if you wish to have your damaged [product] back, we = 
> require
> that you pay return shipping charges. If you do not wish to take = 
> advantage
> of our replacement offer and do not want your damaged = [product] back, we
> will be happy to responsibly dispose of it for you at = no additional
> charge.
>
> If you have any questions or concerns, please phone or Email. We are =
> available weekdays from [range of hours], Eastern time.=20
>
> We appreciate your business. Thank you for being a HumanWare customer.=20=
>
>
> Sincerely,
> Joe Schmoe
> HumanWare Customer Service
>
> =E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94-CUT=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94-
>
> Let me stress here that I have no doubt that you really do have pictures =
> of the damage. I also have no problem believing that the problem is not =
> covered under the warranty terms, not because I know what caused the =
> problem (I don=E2=80=99t), but because, let=E2=80=99s face it, stuff =
> happens, sometimes stuff even happens of which one is unaware. It would, =
> therefore, be really helpful if you could tell me, in plain language, = 
> the
> nature of the problem, so that I know what caused the keys to do the =
> strange things they were doing. I would really appreciate this =
> information.=20
>
> I really love the Stream. It=E2=80=99s a fantastic product. It does what =
> it does very, very well. It is well designed and easy to use, and
> I=E2=80=99=
> ve found that I have started using it in favor of other book =
> players I have around here, including ones on the iPhone. So, yes, it =
> really is a great product for the tech savvy blind guy, too. I would = 
> even
> like to get a second one for my wife, who has just lost all of her =
> remaining vision, has very little feeling in her fingers, and is not at =
> all technology friendly. She has a first gen Stream and likes it a lot, =
> and I know she=E2=80=99d like the new one even more. Unfortunately, due = 
> to
> the nature of your communication, I honestly don=E2=80=99t know what = I
> want to do about either a replacement or a second unit. How can I, in = 
> good
> conscience, support a company with so little regard for its target =
> audience? After all, your Email is only one of several such instances; I =
> reference the several years of product teasers (at least one of which = 
> was
> for a braille display) that were purely visual in nature. Can I, = indeed
> *should* I, support a company who, essentially, thumbs its = collective 
> nose
> at the population it purports to serve?=20
>
> Cordially,
>
> Whether HumanWare was right or wrong in their determination isn=E2=80=99t 
> =
> really the point. Well, I guess it kind of is, because I have no idea =
> either way, having been given no information about it. But even if they =
> were correct in their assessment, their handling of how I was updated on =
> my repair status left pretty much everything to be desired. In short, =
> their Email was a great example of how not to do customer relations. If =
> you do customer relations this way, stop it. Please. Just don=E2=80=99t.
>
>
>
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: 814-860-3194=20
> Mobile: 814-431-0962
> Email: [log in to unmask]
>


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